The 8th MGB Challenge Tour
The 8th Maccabi Challenge Tour to Israel
19th – 31st March 2008
Maccabi GB’s Challenge Tour, sponsored in memory of Bobby and Phyllis Nathan and run in partnership with UJIA, recently returned home from Israel. The tour was Maccabi GB’s largest to date with 16 participants, ten carers and a further two Israeli leaders.
The annual Maccabi Challenge Tour is a unique experience for all participants as no other organisation in the world offers anything like it. This tour was made even more special as a few members of the group had never even visited Israel before. The trip challenged the participants both physically and educationally as they learned through different activities such as trekking in the desert and riding camels; through meeting different people in Israel like the Druze’s, the Bedouins and some Israeli soldiers and through the leaders as they taught them about Israel and its history. The participants were able to choose how much they wanted to challenge themselves and their abilities but most of them took part as they sailed on yachts in the marina of Tel Aviv; abseiled in the Ramon crater and climbed Masada.
The group also explored their Jewish identity and learned about Israel’s heritage as they visited a number of different sites including the Western Wall in Jerusalem and the Hall of Independence in Tel Aviv whilst also taking part in a couple of Shabbat services.
Some of the participants on this year’s tour have taken part in previous Maccabi Challenge Tours; however they were all in agreement that this was the best one yet. Throughout the tour the participants grew closer and it was great to see how these friendships got stronger with every new challenge that they undertook. This unique group always supported each other, encouraged each other and even hugged each other when they missed home.
The tour could not take place without the support of the participant’s families and especially the Maccabi GB volunteers who were there from the first minute the participants woke up until they went to bed. Yoav Tal, Chairman of the Maccabi World Union European desk, spent an evening with the group for a Shabbat dinner. He later said, “Honestly I have to admit that I cannot find strong enough words to express our feelings after the magnificent Erev Shabbat we spent together with the challenge group at Kfar Ha’Maccabia. Both my wife Ariela and I were overwhelmed with the spirit of humanity and the standards of volunteering your family sets. These are the moments that touch and move you and make you proud to be a Maccabee.”
Stuart Greenberg, Maccabi GB’s Chairman and his wife Aviva led the tour, and Aviva said, “Every one of the participants started the tour shy and nervous. However, by the end they were all smiling, more talkative and felt a great sense of achievement for doing things that they never thought they were able to. It is heart-warming to see and gives us the power to move on and take this fantastic project even further.” Stuart added, “I have been fortunate enough to participate in a number of Maccabi events worldwide and as great as those experiences were, they do not come close to the warm glow of a Challenge Tour. Each one has been one of the greatest highlights of my life and is yet another example of Maccabi GB’s work investing in the community.”
To find out more about how to get involved with Maccabi Challenge, please contact the Maccabi GB office on 020 8457 2333 or email enquiries@maccabigb.org